i know the salt(sodium) is no good...just because is retaining the water...but i don't like my meals without salt so can you guys tell me how much is too much?
thanks
michellenew

You're not going to like this, but I don't add any salt to my meals, because there tends to already be a lot of salt in them (especially if you eat prepared foods). Maybe try reducing it slowly? Your taste buds will change as you do this, so soon you probably won't miss the extra salt at all!

Recommended daily limit is 2400mg. I never add salt to ANYTHING, and I am often over anyway. Processed foods and ready-meals (as well as tinned soup!) are choc-a-block!

According to this from the American Heart Assoc.
The average American eats about 2,900 to 4,300 mg of sodium, or about 6 to 10 grams of salt, daily.
• Healthy Americans should try to eat less than 2,300 mg of salt per day.
• Some people — African Americans, middleaged and older adults, and those with high blood pressure — need less than 1,500 mg per day.

Unless you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you do not need to worry about salt. Obviously, that doesn't mean you can just dump it on your food--but other than water retention, which will pass if you drink enough water to flush out the salt, most people don't have to worry about this.

If you are already a salt-dumper, try eating some of your food without adding salt to what's on your plate--and then try putting on just a little bit of salt. It's one of those things that you can get used to tasting too much of, and once you get over that, you don't notice.

Jay

I used to have high blood pressure but when I quit CAFFEINE my blood pressure went down so if you are in that category try that first.

I agree with everything that is said here. I make almost all of our meals from scratch. I tell my DH beforehand that he will need to salt his food at the table because he too loves salt. I have heard this is also a good rule of thumb when you are entertaining and have guests. So many people nowadays can't have salt so let that decision be in their hands and not yours.

What I do though to get some revved up taste in my food is by adding foods like green and red peppers, onions, garlic (not the salt but chopped or the powder) and Mrs. Dash. Mrs. Dash has a lot of punch in her different seasonings. Also try using different flavored oils to cook foods in; like peanut oil for Asian foods or olive oil for Italian. Both of those oils are very flavorable and punch up the flavor of your food.

After a while you will get where you won't need that heavy coating of salt on your food and you will still have some very tasty and mouth watering foods to eat besides.

Good luck, you're asking the right questions and you've got some good answers here too. Sounds like every one has been doing their homework.

Woo Hoo!!

thank you ladies.
i got the answer that i was looking for

pamatga..thanks
i don't have high blood pressure...i cook most of the meals by myself;
the only think i was concern about was the salt, i was reading all this things that the salt keep the water in your body....blah blah blah
thanks again to you all

hello i was wondering if there is a difference really between normal salt and sea salt. i have heard there is but is there really

wow! my fitday says I have had 4300 mg sodium for the day! I never thought to look at it before. o.O

Well now... that might be too much! Drink some extra water...

Milleradah, There is a difference--sea salt is coarser--it gives a somewhat different effect on food. I don't use it much, though, so I hope some other folks will reply.

Jay

Holy cow! Do you eat a look of packaged or convenience foods?

maybe? It was yesterday and I had: whole wheat toast with peanut butter, a 6" teriyaki chicken sub at subway with no cheese or condiments, some meatballs I made with spinich, ground turkey, and bran, and a roll. And fitday said 4300 mg sodium!

Teriyaki...it'll kill ya.

Salt has no calories. I don't have high blood pressure, so I don't worry about it. If I retain water, so what? I don't want to lose weight per se, I want to lose fat. I use all the salt I want, and eat alot of teriyaki. I've lost about 80 pounds. If you eat less calories than you burn off, you will lose fat (assuming you aren't doing the crash dieting thing that burns your muscles off), and eating salt won't change that a bit.

This changes if you have salt sensitive blood issues, of course.